i h8 alloc8!!!1111

[bturville]

yes, but most of the time the timetables they 'alloc8' to you are shit, and so you change them. i don't really see the point of viewing, they might as well just open them straight up for editing.

i don't know how monash/other uni's timetable work. i'll presume their different and explain: basically you have to log on at midnight because the server gets so overloaded, and you change the lect/tute times around on this crappy timetable web page. clashes and classes becoming overfull very fast makes this easier said than done. sometimes alloc8 is even smart enough to make every class overfull, so you can't even switch between times. its a barrel of laughs, and i'm sure allocate+ is too.

[cara.mel]

At monash:
Everyone gets about a month to enter preferences for each tute/lab/lecture when there is more than one lecture stream
After about a month, Allocate+ closes for preference entry
The sort is then run and the system tries to give everyone their first preference for everything in a non clashing timetable (but obviously this doesn't happen so people get 2nd prefs and such)
You can then manually change allocations after that on a first come, first serve basis, but generally you don't want to as the empty ones correspond to ones lower than the preference allocated to you, and is only useful to keep checking back if you *really* wanted something in case someone swaps out of it and a spot opens up.


So do they just give you a random timetable with no input from you and then you go to allocation adjustment mode on first come first serve?

[bilgia]

At monash:
Everyone gets about a month to enter preferences for each tute/lab/lecture when there is more than one lecture stream
After about a month, Allocate+ closes for preference entry
The sort is then run and the system tries to give everyone their first preference for everything in a non clashing timetable (but obviously this doesn't happen so people get 2nd prefs and such)
You can then manually change allocations after that on a first come, first serve basis, but generally you don't want to as the empty ones correspond to ones lower than the preference allocated to you, and is only useful to keep checking back if you *really* wanted something in case someone swaps out of it and a spot opens up.


So do they just give you a random timetable with no input from you and then you go to allocation adjustment mode on first come first serve?

correct.

[phagist_]

you edit to make your timetable convenient for yourself (that's only if your subject has more than one class)

[cara.mel]

Ah ok. I like my system better I *know* I'll get most labs when I want them, and at worse, it'll only be slightly inconvenient.

Do you know the times available for everything yet? (eg you can view when the scheduled labs/lectures are, and thus plan what you are going to race into at 12am)

[ninwa]

At monash:
Everyone gets about a month to enter preferences for each tute/lab/lecture when there is more than one lecture stream
After about a month, Allocate+ closes for preference entry
The sort is then run and the system tries to give everyone their first preference for everything in a non clashing timetable (but obviously this doesn't happen so people get 2nd prefs and such)
You can then manually change allocations after that on a first come, first serve basis, but generally you don't want to as the empty ones correspond to ones lower than the preference allocated to you, and is only useful to keep checking back if you *really* wanted something in case someone swaps out of it and a spot opens up.


So do they just give you a random timetable with no input from you and then you go to allocation adjustment mode on first come first serve?

correct.

Are you serious?? You get NO say in your timetable before this "edit" thing??
Wow that sucks ...

For Monash, as long as you work things out into a non-clashing timetable, you usually get your first preferences (or at least I did). Boy am I glad I didn't go to UoM

[phagist_]

but it doesn't matter that much, last semester I had Calc 2 scheduled at 9am Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
But because there are streams (11am and 2pm)I could get the sleep in because I had a gap at 2pm.

Looks like the same will happen this semester.

[bturville]

Ah ok. I like my system better I *know* I'll get most labs when I want them, and at worse, it'll only be slightly inconvenient.

Do you know the times available for everything yet? (eg you can view when the scheduled labs/lectures are, and thus plan what you are going to race into at 12am)

pretty much. well....the lecture and prac times are available ages in advance, so I plan those, try and snap them up (tonight) and then fill in any gaps with a the remaining few tutes.

[bturville]

Here are just 2 reasons why I hate alloc8:

(HMM. MAKES SWAPPING TUTE TIMES FUN)





AND OF COURSE:

[enwiabe]

That tab has some sagely advice. "Lookup fail" - "Look up fail" and you have the definition of Alloc8. Bwahahahaha, I love Allocate+. I have NEVER, EVER gotten a second pref.

[mark_alec]

Here are just 2 reasons why I hate alloc8:

(HMM. MAKES SWAPPING TUTE TIMES FUN)

I have the same problem, what I want to change are my tute times, but all the tutes are full, so I can't.

[bturville]

it means i can't change my prac times to something decent. locks the whole deal right up. thankyou UoM. prestigious my fucking arse.

[AppleXY]

it means i can't change my prac times to something decent. locks the whole deal right up. thankyou UoM. prestigious my fucking arse.

[Michael]

For once the server wasn't too bad last night/this morning. I got my timetable done by 12:10am, and for once I am pretty happy with my timetable.

[Collin Li]

I think the server wasn't too bad because they introduced gridlock on a lot of timetables:

There were a lot of subjects where everything was just (full), which means that no-one can move out of the way for someone else, and essentially you're just stuck with a randomised timetable. People log-on to see this, give up, and log-off, which drastically reduced lag after the first 30 minutes.

Of course, they could have introduced a new server -- but why would they do that when they could cause many students randomised and undiscriminating pain (while getting the job done)?